Baltic countries agree to facilitate movement of NATO troops

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia agreed on Wednesday to facilitate the movement of allied forces in the region as NATO's multinational battalions are being deployed to the Baltic countries, the Lithuanian Defence Ministry said.

"The Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian defence ministers met to that end in Brussels today and signed a joint communiqué to facilitate movement of allied forces in the region and simplify related bureaucratic procedures concerning NATO enhanced Forward Presence troops deploying into the Baltic states and Poland," it said in a press release.

Poland is expected to sign a similar agreement on Thursday.

Brussels on Wednesday is hosting a meeting of NATO defence ministers.

In response to Russia' intervention in Ukraine, the Alliance decided last year to station around 1,000 troops in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland each.